Picture This: Bears Aim To Put Jaguars, Qb Under Pressure

October 14, 1995|By Julie Deardorff, Tribune Staff Writer.

The word "expansion" wasn't muttered much around Halas Hall as the Bears prepared this week for Jacksonville. In fact, the only real sign the Bears are about to play another first-year team was a rebus poster by the locker room that showed pictures of an ax (AX), a pan (PAN) and a shin (SHIN)--or ax-pan-shin.

After last week's scare against Carolina, the Bears aren't taking Jacksonville lightly, even though the Jaguars are ranked dead last in offense in the league with 1,343 total yards. Jacksonville is coming off two straight wins over Houston and Pittsburgh, two teams the Bears play in the next three weeks. The Bears (3-2) are still trying to win two in a row.

And while Jacksonville may average only 101 yards a game on the ground, the fact that fleet-footed quarterback Mark Brunell is the team's leading rusher gives the Jaguars an added dimension.

Brunell, a 6-foot, 217-pound lefty, has 197 yards on 27 carries for a 7.3 average. He poses a different sort of challenge for the Bears defense, which earlier in the season had trouble stopping third-down conversions. His long jaunt is a 23-yard gain and he's rushed for one touchdown.

"Facing a guy like Randall Cunningham twice a year for four years, I can tell you you don't practice against that," said Bears coach Dave Wannstedt. "In practice we had a quarterback scrambling around and defensive linemen chasing him, but the minute the quarterback starts scrambling and the receiver starts moving, it's completely different compared to what you practiced all week. That's the danger. We've just got to keep enough pressure on him to keep him contained. Hopefully he'll throw some up and we'll have a chance for some turnovers."

The Bears defense didn't record any sacks last game and forced one turnover, an interception, by Donnell Woolford at game's end.

But Carl Simpson, who likened Brunell's mobility to Steve Young's, said the Bears simply have to be more lane-conscious.

"You have to tackle him under control," said Simpson. "You can't be too wild because that's when you miss. Any quarterback who sees you will get away from you. You know the quarterback won't sit up in the pocket and let you take hits on him."

Linebacker Vinson Smith said that of the quarterbacks the Bears have faced, Brunell is most like Green Bay's Brett Favre.

"There's very little you can do with a quarterback like that because you still have to cover the receivers before he takes off," said Smith. "That's something extra for them. Hopefully we'll keep him from scrambling too much or get him before he can hurt us too bad. He can run, he's not afraid to tuck the ball and take off, and he has no fear."

Jacksonville's ground game is ranked 19th in the league and rookie James Stewart, the fourth running back selected in the 1995 draft, is the second-leading rusher with 184 yards on 69 carries for a 2.7 average. Last week he scored his first NFL touchdown and finished with 44 yards on 19 carries.

"Stewart is strong, very quick, and loves the outside because it gives him an opportunity to use his athletic ability," said Smith. "He's quick, fast and young. He reminds me of Rashaan ."

Stewart was selected 19th in the draft, two picks ahead of Salaam. And the Bears rookie, who has 85 carries for 276 yards and three touchdowns, hasn't forgotten he was passed over. "I want to show Jacksonville they made a mistake," Salaam said.